Purchased by the Maser family in 2011, Amaya Ridge Vineyards is the peaceful haven the family dreamed of.
Looking for a slower pace of life, the Masers sold their Palo Alto home and moved to the Soquel hills in order to grow luscious grapes—which are tended and harvested by Kenny Likitprakong and sold under his boutique Ghostwriter label.
Likitprakong, who is pretty famous for his winemaking skills, says, “Ghostwriter is a way of saying that the wine and the winemaker are in a sense telling a story that is not entirely their own.”
Complete with vintage typewriter, the fascinating label offers several poetic sentences starting with “small black keys depress under long fingers,” and ending with “the carriage returns to begin again as do we.” We get the message!
Dark, vigorous and chock-full of ripe red fruit, the 2016 Pinot Noir ($55) is a full-bodied wine you won’t want to miss. Caramel, smoke and Earth aromas leap out of the bottle followed by an abundance of bold flavors—game, spice, cherry, vanilla—rounded out with velvety tannins.
Ghostwriter Pinot Noir can be found in many local wine shops such as Deer Park Wine and Spirits and in fine restaurants in the Bay Area.
Amaya Ridge doesn’t have a tasting room, but you can contact them regarding a visit.
Amaya Ridge Vineyards, 1100 Amaya Ridge Road, Soquel. 650-380-2406, amayaridge.com.
Broken Hearts Revue
Head to the historic Palomar Ballroom in downtown Santa Cruz for a Bourbon and Burlesque show with Lulu and the Lushes. You will be highly entertained with an un-Valentine’s Day-themed show—promising a night of dark, funny and always-seductive entertainment. VIP tickets include a guided bourbon-tasting experience taught by bourbon expert extraordinaire Lulu L’Amour (aka Lindsay Eshleman). Specialty cocktails are available for purchase (at the cash-only on-site bar). VIP tickets are $30, and general admission is $15. The event is from 7-11pm. Saturday, Feb. 29.
For more info visit B&B Productions at bourbonandburlesque.ticketleap.com.
